Tag: e-commerce

Proposals to double the volume of e-commerce in Europe by 2015 – laid out in a communication published yesterday (11 January) – are set to cause a tussle over the liability of online traders.

Growth in cross-border e-commerce across the European Union continues but only "at a sluggish pace", reveals the latest European Commission consumer survey, indicating that much remains to be done if the bloc is to meet targets for 2020.

Cross-border crimes, such as money laundering or counterfeiting, should be defined in the same way across all EU countries, according to the bloc's new Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding, who will outline her long-term ambitions at a conference in Brussels today (18 March).

Spain will push for a common European market in energy and eCommerce during its six-month EU presidency, Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero told the European Parliament yesterday (20 January), adding that the EU's '2020 Strategy' for economic and social renewal would form the cornerstone of his tenure.

The EU is in corrective mode on eCommerce after it created a web of burdensome rules in order to inspire more consumer confidence, argues the author of a report examining European rules on online shopping.

Credit card and bank account information are the most common items sold on the Internet-based black market, concludes a report published by the Web security multinational Symantec.

Purchasing plane tickets online is one of the least secure transactions that can be carried out with a payment card and chances are high that customers will be targeted by fraudsters, according to a report published yesterday (28 April) by the European Commission.

While the internet is seen by many suppliers and consumers as a virtual trading platform, payment systems are the 'Achilles heel' of e-commerce for the consumer, argues Stefan Heng from the Deutshe Bank Research.

Research by Deutsche Bank reveals a number of peculiarities in shops, shoppers and goods traded in business-to-consumer e-commerce.

eEurope was launched in December 1999 to ensure the EU fully benefits from the changes the Information Society is bringing. eEurope's key objectives are to bringing every citizen, home and school, every business and administration, into the digital age and online. It plans to create a digitally literate Europe, supported by an entrepreneurial culture ready to finance and develop new ideas. eEurope also wants to ensure the whole process is socially inclusive, builds consumer trust and contributes to social cohesion.

Early findings of the Commission's 2003-2004 e-Businees W@tch survey show that company size and sector of economic activity are the main driving forces behind e-business adoption.

Fifty seven per cent of EU citizens would not even consider shopping online as they have no Internet connection, says a Eurobarometer survey. The study also shows a clear North-South divide.

The EU adopted in June 2000 Directive 2000/31/EC (the 'E-Commerce directive') requiring its Member States to harmonise certain aspects of their laws on buying and selling online. The directive is designed to reduce the regulatory burdens for businesses wanting to enter this market (such as the adoption of the 'country of origin principle' and the prohibition of prior authorisations). It also includes measures to encourage consumer confidence.

On 16 September, the Commission launched an Internet consultation aiming to identify the legal barriers hindering e-business. The consultation will run until 7 November 2003.

In a letter addressed to Commission President Prodi on 30 September, the European Ombudsman requested the Commission to clarify the EU data protection rules.

On 30 September and 1 October the Commission is organising conference on data protection to look at key issues in the field of privacy.

A UK civil liberties organisation, Statewatch, has posted on its website a leaked EU Framework Decision that would force all European telephone carriers, mobile network operators and Internet service providers to store details of their customers' Web use, e-mails and phone calls for up to two years.

Over forty NGOs urge MEPs to vote on 29 May for the EP Committee's position on data retention as data protection has become a "crucial issue for the future of democratic states". The NGOs state it is now up to the Parliament to safeguard fundamental freedoms.

A conference organised by the Commission on 16 May gave EU Actors the opportunity to share opinions and experiences of 'going digital'. The conference also discussed possible future directions in eEurope 2005.

The Commission on 3 May opened a consultation on the draft law applicable to non-contractual obligations ('Rome II'), which should especially be of interest to e-commerce vendors. The Commission welcomes comments and suggestions from EU Actors until 15 September 2002.

During its meeting on 6-7 May, EU Economic and Finance Ministers have agreed on the final adoption of the Directive laying down the rules for applying value added tax (VAT) to certain services supplied by electronic means.

During its second reading on 18 April, the EP Citizens' Rights Committee decided that users should have the right to refuse 'cookies' and that it is up to Member States to decide for opt-in or opt-out on spam.